Ima Panthoibi Haraoba held at Tripura
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 26 2022:
Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board (LSTB), Hayingkhongbal member Athokpam Chinglemba has claimed that Manipuris who have been living in Surma Valley and Barak Valley in the western side of Manipur are original settlers of the areas and not refugees as considered by many.
He also said that generations of Manipuris have been settling in the two valleys before the period of Seven Years' Devastation or 'Chahi Taret Khuntakpa' under the guidance of the Kangleipak king.
He made these statements on the opening day of Ima Panthoibi Haraoba (a religious festival celebrated by the Meitei people) at Dharmanagar, Tripura.
Reportedly, the religious festival of Meitei is being held at Dharmanager, Tripura after a gap of nearly 300 years.
There, Chinglemba continued that a section of people treating Manipuris in Cachar, Tripura, Sylhet as refugees is misleading.
Claiming that all these places were under the control of the Manipur monarch as per Puya (archaic Manipuri manuscripts), he added that people there have also been protecting the land of Manipur since ancient times.
The identity of Manipuris living in all such villages which are now outside Manipur have been fading due to the negligence of the State Government, he claimed and continued that the Lai Haraoba is being organised with priests and priestesses from Manipur to create unity among Manipuris.
During the function, LSTB handed over a letter of acknowledgement to Ima Panthoibi Thougal Kanglup, Rameshwar.